Well, it's been a while now since I posted, but due to a health issue my mind has been elsewhere. Some may find that rather amusing when considering the whereabouts of the problem. 'Nuff said about that, the better, but perhaps one last word?
I have become rather attached to a particular favourite hat, or rather I should say that I have some difficulty keeping it attached to me. It is ever so slightly over size. One of my sons has also taken to wearing similar headgear, and he too suffers from the lightest airs. He discovered a solution to our common situation, and suggested self adhesive draught excluder, stuck around the inside of the band.
My sister is a champion needle worker, and she had promised to stitch a strip of extra fabric to the aforementioned item as a cure, but has not had the time to do so. When I told her about our amateurish solution, she fell about laughing.
As I had previously informed her of my growing proficiency with glass cutting, I suggested that if I added double glazing to my spectacles as well, I would be perfectly prepared for the harshest winter weather to come!
More laughter, and then when she finally regained sufficient composure, she said;
"Don't forget the cavity insulation!"
"Owwwwwww... ...no, no, no... ...I'm still much too sore for any of that stuff!" I cried.
On a more sensible note: Bagshot has been progressed a bit, albeit rather unspectacularly. I am extremely relieved to have made all the windows for the station frontage now at least. Typically though, the last one fought back at every turn!
Admittedly, my own clumsiness was to blame for the first catastrophe:
Late in the evening, I was in the final stages of making this one of a pair of carefully made to measure frame/sash boxes for the Booking Hall. The worktop was a mass of plastic shavings after this process, so whilst holding the frame twixt the digits of one hand, swept the cutting mat clear with t'other.
Somehow I managed to catch the precious frame, and sent it flying. Upon retrieval, I found it was hopelessly bent out of square, with the top corners irreparably split. A completely new one would have to be built.
So to bed, a miserable old fool.
Fortunately, I had not fitted the "Inside front" layer when the damage was done, so the following morning I salvaged the bottom sill and side rails by slicing out the front layer corners, gluing them to the layer, then scarfing in new corners and a top for the front.
It might not have been much less trouble than complete replacement, but there is something very satisfying about a successful recovery!
Such pleasure was short lived however:
I cut two sets of upper and lower sash frames, four pieces in all, and assembled them. Then set-to the glazing with a gusto.
In fact, with a little too much gus: Snap, crack and tinkle! Shards going all over the place!
Eventually, after creating a small heap of jagged glittering glass, I had a set of perfect pieces. It was only after installing them that I found that the sashes were too big to fit in the frames!
Arghhhhhhh!
Went out for lunch, and didn't come back for quite a while!
I did come back in the end though, and started all over again.
Still had a bit of trimming and finishing to do when I took these pictures, and they will need a lick of paint too, but at long last I can present a nice full weatherproof frontage.
This evening, I was "ordered" to carry out my annual Christmas Tree Lights Duty. I couldn't resist this little diversion from the set task:
A four pic foretaste of fings to come...
...that is, when the guys from the Gas Board finally turn up!
Pete.